Two-time Olympic gold medallist and World Cup-winning Black Fern

Overview

Stacey Waaka is one of New Zealand's most decorated rugby players — a two-time Olympic gold medallist, two-time Rugby World Cup winner with the Black Ferns and one of only a small group of NZ women to win more than two Olympic medals. Born in Ruatoki and raised in Tauranga, she brings warmth, humour and deep cultural grounding to the stage on resilience, identity and what it really takes to win.

Who is Stacey Waaka? Stacey debuted for the Black Ferns at age 19 and made her sevens debut in 2016. She has won gold at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, the 2017 and 2021 Rugby World Cups, Commonwealth Games gold (2018) and bronze (2022), and silver at the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens. She has also captained the New York Locals in Premier Rugby Sevens and played NRLW for the Brisbane Broncos and now the Warriors. She holds a Bachelor of Health, Sport and Human Performance from the University of Waikato.

Career Highlights • Two Olympic gold medals (Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024) and one silver (Rio 2016) • Two Rugby World Cup titles with the Black Ferns (2017, 2021) • Commonwealth Games gold (2018) and bronze (2022) • Top try scorer at the 2019–20 World Rugby Women's Sevens Series • Captain of the New York Locals in Premier Rugby Sevens • Brisbane Broncos NRLW Rookie of the Year and Dally M Team of the Year, 2024

Key Speaking Themes • High performance, mindset and Olympic-level preparation • Identity, culture and te ao Māori in sport • Women in sport and pathways for wāhine • Resilience, injury comebacks and reinvention • Team culture, leadership and being a senior voice

What Your Audience Will Gain Stacey is warm, funny and unmistakably grounded. Audiences leave with a clearer sense of what real high performance looks like, the role identity plays in resilience and the quiet courage behind any visible success.

Ideal For • Leadership and high-performance events • Women in business and women in sport conferences • Diversity, inclusion and te ao Māori forums • School and youth leadership programmes • Awards nights and gala dinners

Frequently Asked Questions...

What does Stacey Waaka speak about? High performance, mindset, identity, women in sport, resilience and team culture.

What are Stacey Waaka's biggest achievements? Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, Rugby World Cup wins in 2017 and 2021, Commonwealth Games gold in 2018 and a long Black Ferns career across sevens and 15s.

What is Stacey Waaka's iwi? Stacey is of Ngāi Tūhoe and Waikato-Tainui descent, born in Ruatoki, Bay of Plenty.

What other sports has Stacey Waaka played? She has represented New Zealand in touch rugby and played NRLW for the Brisbane Broncos and the New Zealand Warriors, plus provincial netball, hockey and athletics.

What is Stacey Waaka's background outside rugby? She holds a Bachelor of Health, Sport and Human Performance from the University of Waikato and has written children's books.
Is Stacey Waaka available for keynotes and panels? Yes. Stacey is available for keynotes, panels and school visits across NZ on high performance, women in sport and identity.